I built my house in 2005 in the Heights. I have a squeaky living room floor. Can you suggest someone to get under the house and check it?
Larry
Tom’s Answer:
Tom: It’s a suction that keeps that piling in place. For every foot up, you go a foot down. You usually put glue on top of the floor joists, and then put the subfloor down, nail it or screw it really well, and that keeps it from moving. Then on top of that, you would put a rosin paper or a tar paper, and your wood floor, which would be nailed down.
I have a feeling, in this case, they didn’t use the glue, because that’s the most common thing that’ll happen. The subfloor is rubbing against the floor joists, making that squeaking sound. That’s because of the house is moving, and people are walking on it.
To fix something like that, it’s not going to be very successful. You almost have to just live with it, because it wasn’t done properly to begin with.
Charlie: It’s probably a pier and beam house up there in the Heights.
Tom: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. They crawl around, they’re going to move.
Charlie: You can’t get under there and screw it at all, then.
Tom: Well, there’s nothing to screw to. You’d have to put metal brackets and plates, and find the screws. Then the floor’s only so thick, and you don’t want to put screws into your nice wood floor. You’d see the screw heads.
Charlie: It’s just a case of, you live and you learn.
Tom: I guess so. It’s okay. It’s still probably a great house in a great area of town.
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